autocoach

"MRH certainly ought to be able to afford it; according to Alexa they're in the top 500k of global websites and therefore capable pulling in ad revenue running well into four figures a month. But they're not really monetizing the website" Most of the MRH forum subscribers are very skinflint (cheap) model railroaders. Not an easy way to make a living in advertising to them. The advertisers are likewise cheap (aka highly economical except Rapido North America.) Many topics are looking for cheaper products and solutions to high price model railroad products. The forum is not the prime advertising revenue source for the publisher (though he would like it to be a bigger contributor.) MRH publishes a free downloadable PDF MRH monthly magazine which is heavily advertising supported (the links work) and Running Extra a pay for access, no advertisement, downloadable MRH Extra that has highly detailed extended articles. If you subscribe to Running Extra, your download includes the regular MRH magazine with adds. Running Extra is not available as a separate download. MRH also sells video downloads of extended model railroad clinics and layout tours on a subscription or one off access basis. Running Extra is only about $20-25 a year for a subscription. Such a deal but of course there is no coverage outside North American railroading. Which is why I am a member of RMWEB and subscribe to BRM. My interests span the Atlantic but don't cross the Channel. There is no hardcopy printed version of MRH magazine/Running Extra unless you wish to print the PDF's as a subscriber on your own printer. With no regular print version there is a bit of a paradigm shift. MRH is a child of the digital age and had no old fashioned paper magazine past to to meld into a combined digital/paper format and satisfy generations of paper only subscribers.

Just a question....I am still stuck with a Pocketmags subscription to BRM as the last time I looked there was no Windows/browser electronic subscription available from Warners. I love 24-28 inch monitors for viewing and reading. Has this situation improved or am I condemned to continue with Pocketmags or do you now have an alternative for BRM. Also living through your North American counterpart (MRH) forum upgrade problems. Joe Fugate said he couldn't afford the software used for RMWEB.

Do the continental businesses of Hornby maintain spares like Roco and Marklin?

If I remember there used to be a very active British 4 mm modeling group in Canada. Mostly centered in Ontario. I think the group was named the BRMNA (British Railway Modelers of North America.) You might consider contacting them and finding if someone has parts to share in Canada.

One idea, particularly for tender locomotives would be to convert them to run as fireless locomotives with the steam reservoir in a faux tender. After each run the tender would probably need to be re-charged from a stationary boiler powered by solar energy. https://www.google.com/search?q=fireless+steam+locomotive&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjt6fGey4HzAhVKR6wKHROEA4IQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=fireless+ste&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgBMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBAgAEBg6BAgAEEM6CAgAEIAEELEDOgcIABCxAxBDOgYIABAIEB5Q2dQUWInrFGDt_BRoAHAAeACAAYkBiAH7C5IBBDAuMTKYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=lDhCYe3PMMqOsQWTiI6QCA&bih=722&biw=1536&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS946US946&hl=en I have been thinking about this solution as the local preserved railway which I support as a member ( the Niles Canyon Railway, https://www.ncry.org/) has numerous issues issues with air pollution as well as right of way fire fire prevention in tinder dry California. 9 months of the year the NCRY is limited to diesel power and the historic diesel engines have had to have pollution controls added.

The UP (ex SP) line along the waterfront streets in Oakland is one of the most easily accessible sections of street rail running. Not only are there multiple UP freight trains but the Amtrak Coast Starlight and San Francisco Zephyr along with Amtrak California San Joaquin service and up to 10 Capitol Corridor 4-5 car (coach to UK readers) push pull passenger services between Oakland/San Jose and Sacramento/Roseville each way daily. Surprisingly few vehicle and pedestrian accidents although they do happen. This is a 2013 video of one of the Capitol Corridor services. The only difference in 8 years is they now use the newer Siemens locomotives. This is a Siemens SC-44 Charger locomotive built in California at the Siemens Mobility factory near Sacramento. Now appearing throughout the US https://www.google.com/search?q=siemens+charger+amtrak&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS946US946&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjuutf-yoHzAhV6l2oFHUCqD4EQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1536&bih=722

Have we heard anything more on the elephantine gestation (actually longer than that) of these long awaited coaches?

California has been using E10 for many years. You get used to it. But E15 is banned as far more polluting. Our normal petrol is also specially refined with special winter and summer blends compared to other states to reduce air pollutants. Alcohol enhanced fuels are looked on as just a a cheap political subsidy to mid-West corn (maize) farmers. Now if we could only get a bit more rain and stop the Sierra, Siskiyou and Oregon forests from going up in smoke we might be able to breath again. The atmosphere is filled with smoke from fires 3-400 miles away. Locally it seems like every 10th car is a Tesla and we need the rain for hydro power.

Bravo... Unfortunately the 4 SUB's it will have to await my very highly unlikely impending lottery win....

Thank you Graham and Kernow. I dont' know if this is authorized but I save this material on a windows PC/Chrome (in case something should happen to Kernow's website) by highlighting the material and then selecting print and then Print to PDF. At the moment I have no immediate plans for a 4mm scale third rail layout although I do have a dream of someday being able to create the scene of the Penge East station in the 1947-49 period with Malachite green 4 SUBS and the Penge Tunnel as the primary features. A memory of my Family home area.

The Maunsell Dining Saloons appear to have made this issue. I would doubt they will make it in calendar 2021 if they are in this stage. Otherwise little of interest to serious UK modelers. It appears they have found the right level of customer for their "marketing pro" Montana to address.

Will there be a "Fall" update soon?

SP/UP smaller steam such as consolidations and moguls originally built when both were Harriman owned/influenced railroads would be a consistent money maker. Bonus for ease of manufacture is that the visible valve gear is simplified Stevenson valve gear similar in appearance to GWR Churchward. Cylindrical, rectangular or semi-cylindrical (aka "whaleback") tenders for both coal and oil fired versions provides a variety using the same locomotive.

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/166187-Hornby-acquire-remaining-oxford-shares/

Oxford has a small 1/87 (HO) range of North American vehicles. Their pre-1950 part of the range is quite good and essential for modeling the end of steam/transition era 1945-58. There are a few "show off" types of cars in the range but enough of the mundane vehicles to enhance model railroads. I hope this part of range will not disappear in the merger. They may be a little under scale if accurately measured. Shrinkage?

This should free up a few more containers to help the logistics of shipping inflatable garden gnomes and much needed other items around the globe.....

Only a few more to complete the ex LSWR Brake Van collection.....at this rate it will take about 30 years.....

Eloise looses her job? Actually I am more concerned about the future of the non-UK brands Hornby Hobbies own such as Rivarossi, Jouef and Arnold.

Arrival Notice...please disregard After almost 7 years since my original order.....the road van has arrived on the far distant shore of this former Spanish colony. Shown with my other recent Southern RTR wagon acquisitions. Were my old Padstow layout still around it would of course be allocated to Padstow-Wadebridge-Wenford services. Would it have had such non-common user markings in the latter years of the Southern? Actually I should find out what the numbers were for road vans used out of Wadebridge 1945-47. Nice delicious chocolate color paint job.

Maunsell Dining Saloons? Being just an occasional Southern Railway post war (September 1945-December 31 1947) collector these days, they are one of the few things of interest on the English model horizon these days.

The North American 3 D print shops of Shapeways are no different in their declining quality of service and astronomical pricing. At least we don't have to deal with EU/UK tariff issues (although Canada and Mexico might have issues I do not know about.) The trend I am seeing here (in NA) is that everyone seems to want to own their own printer and buy the print files if they can't create them. There are several interesting RR/Rwy groups on Facebook (which won't steal your firstborn if you just look). https://www.facebook.com/groups/3DModelTrains

I will believe it when my order for this van arrives on my doorstep in this far distant former Spanish colony....

It certainly gives the feel of a more appropriate size to the town of Little Muddle. Still a small town not a village.

And I keep hoping they finally get the 1948 Dodge pickup out the showroom door. Perfect for my Port Costa layout. Other Ford, Chevy, GMC1946-54 pickups and vans would also be most welcome.

Hopefully the Rapido Titfield Thunderbolt product line will be available to pre-order on this new feature on the Rapido North American website. I guess I sort of view the Titfield products as collectable toys that are also an accurate scale models. Don't think it will quite fit in at an Southern Pacific Ops session even with a couple of SECR open wagons. By 2022 who knows what the international trade situation will be particularly for Chinese origin goods entering the US...even via Canada...